Mt. Eden beats Castro Valley to enhance its postseason soccer hopes

The Mt. Eden High boys soccer team scored twice in the second half to earn a 2-0 victory over host Castro Valley in West Alameda County Conference-Foothill Division play Wednesday.

The victory bolstered the Monarchs' chances for an at-large bid in the North Coast Section Division I playoffs. The Monarchs (10-7-6, 8-5-2 WACC) moved into second place in the Foothill Division standings behind Berkeley with 26 points and appear to be in a safe position to make the postseason.

Castro Valley fell to 7-11-4 overall and 7-5-3 in the WACC, and could use a win over Berkeley on Friday in its regular-season finale to bolster its at-large resume. The Trojans are already eligible since their league record can't fall below .500.

"I told them from the beginning this was an important game," Mt. Eden coach Jonas Alvarez said. "It was big because they are in our division, and if we want to get to the playoffs we needed this win."

Mt. Eden's first score came in backbreaking fashion, as it came just seconds after Castro Valley had a goal wiped off by an offside call. Val Birznieks put the ball in Mt. Eden's net on a header, but the offside flag was up.

Mt. Eden responded with an Ismael Nunez goal in the 47th minute on a perfectly placed strike from 30 yards out.

With the game in the balance, Francisco Aguilar put it to rest in the 66th minute with a fantastic chip that snuck just under the crossbar. Seedings for the NCS Division I and II playoffs will be announced Sunday.

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